Gangsta Spongebob
"Mama I'm a Criminal" - Badass Smoking Caterpillar
[OVERVIEW]
Pinsir's gargantuan base Attack and access to Slash make it a top-tier threat. Slash 2HKOes or 3HKOes all foes aside from Ghost- and Rock-types. Unlike most other offensive Pokemon, such as Seaking and Rapidash, Pinsir lacks true walls. Its access to Submission and Seismic Toss means that Pinsir can break through the Pokemon that don't mind its Slash, namely Rock-types and Gastly. Pinsir's Speed is also quite good, as it is only outsped by Rapidash, Arcanine, Fearow, and Abra—it ties with Staryu and outspeeds every other tier staple, notably including Nidoqueen and Seaking. However, Pinsir's weaknesses to Fire and Flying make it lose badly to Rapidash, Arcanine, and Fearow. While its Ground resistance does allow it to pivot into certain threats, it's often moot since most Earthquake users, including Nidoqueen, possess super effective coverage against Pinsir. Pinsir's reliance on weak moves to make progress against Pokemon that resist or are immune to Slash is another issue, as it makes it easy to switch in faster threats or Gastly, which can put it to sleep. Pinsir's excellence in the metagame is undeniable when the best Pokemon in the tier, Nidoqueen, runs Fire Blast solely for it, but the fact that the tier prepares for it means that Pinsir needs team support to unleash its full potential.
[SET]
name: All-out Attacker
move 1: Slash
move 2: Bind
move 3: Submission
move 4: Seismic Toss
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Slash is Pinsir's most spammable attack, 2HOKing or 3HKOing most foes. Bind allows Pinsir to chip foes into KO range and pivot around slower threats. However, given its terrible accuracy, Bind should only be used when necessary. Submission is Pinsir's strongest attack against Rock- and Normal-types, 2HKOing Omanyte and Porygon and 3HKOing Graveler. Seismic Toss hits Gastly, which is immune to all of Pinsir's other attacks. Seismic Toss also lets Pinsir cover switches, as it still deals decent damage to Rock-types, notably 3HKOing Omanyte. It also puts many targets that are 3HKOed by Slash in 2HKO range, such as Machamp and Nidoqueen, and puts Staryu in OHKO range.
Pinsir is easily handled by Rapidash, Arcanine, and Fearow, which outspeed and threaten it with their STAB attacks. Therefore, Omanyte and Graveler make good partners. Pinsir struggles against Rock-types and Gastly, which force it to use its weak coverage moves. Thus, Water-types such as Seaking and Staryu for the former, and Psychic-types such as Abra and Drowzee for the latter, are appreciated. Porygon is also able to safely switch into Rock-types, as well as Gastly once Sleep Clause is activated, making it a good teammate. Pinsir can be used as a wallbreaker or a cleaner for its team. When used as a wallbreaker, it's excellent at removing or weakening crucial defensive pieces such as Porygon, Drowzee, and Staryu. This helps speedy offensive threats, such as Rapidash and Fearow, to sweep late-game. If used as a cleaner, it enjoys the support of wallbreakers such as Abra and Fearow to weaken defensive Pokemon. Thunder Wave support from teammates such as Staryu and Drowzee also helps Pinsir to clean.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Body Slam can be used to spread paralysis, but Pinsir generally makes more progress using its standard set. Swords Dance is an enticing option, as the sheer power of a boosted Hyper Beam can OHKO nearly every non-Rock- or Ghost-type. Additionally, a +2 Hyper Beam has a 71.8% chance to OHKO Porygon,and a +2 Submission will always do so. However, using Swords Dance and Hyper Beam means Pinsir must give up Bind and one of its coverage moves, leaving it unable to threaten certain foes.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fire Blast Users*: Rapidash and Arcanine outspeed Pinsir and have a 79.5% chance to OHKO it with Fire Blast, while it can only rarely 2HKO Rapidash with Slash and always 3HKOes Arcanine. Nidoqueen and Machamp 2HKO Pinsir with Fire Blast, and it can only 3HKO them in return, but Pinsir outspeeds them and can win if they're chipped.
**Fearow**: Fearow outspeeds Pinsir and has a 96.8% chance to 2HKO with Drill Peck, while Slash only has a 30.7% chance to 2HKO back. However, it is a tenuous check since it can generally only switch into Pinsir once.
**Gastly**: Seismic Toss only 3HKOes Gastly and it is immune to all of Pinsir's other moves, so it can effortlessly switch in and put Pinsir to sleep with Hypnosis. However, once Sleep Clause is active, Gastly loses one-on-one and will usually need to pivot into in a faster threat.
**Rock-types**: Pinsir's Submission only 3HKOes Graveler, and its Rock Slide has an 87.6% chance to 2HKO back, which becomes 100% after Submission's recoil. Omanyte loses one-on-one, but it can easily force Pinsir to use Submission or Seismic Toss, allowing it to pivot in a faster threat.
**Paralysis**: Once paralyzed by threats such as Staryu and Drowzee, Pinsir is easy to overwhelm. Threats that normally lose due to being outsped, such as Seaking and Omanyte, now easily beat Pinsir. Dragonair can easily use Wrap to bring Pinsir into KO range. Tenuous checks to Pinsir, such as Nidoqueen, Machamp, and Graveler, find themselves more comfortably able to overwhelm it.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sabelette.583793/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gastlies.540559/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sabelette.583793/
Pinsir's gargantuan base Attack and access to Slash make it a top-tier threat. Slash 2HKOes or 3HKOes all foes aside from Ghost- and Rock-types. Unlike most other offensive Pokemon, such as Seaking and Rapidash, Pinsir lacks true walls. Its access to Submission and Seismic Toss means that Pinsir can break through the Pokemon that don't mind its Slash, namely Rock-types and Gastly. Pinsir's Speed is also quite good, as it is only outsped by Rapidash, Arcanine, Fearow, and Abra—it ties with Staryu and outspeeds every other tier staple, notably including Nidoqueen and Seaking. However, Pinsir's weaknesses to Fire and Flying make it lose badly to Rapidash, Arcanine, and Fearow. While its Ground resistance does allow it to pivot into certain threats, it's often moot since most Earthquake users, including Nidoqueen, possess super effective coverage against Pinsir. Pinsir's reliance on weak moves to make progress against Pokemon that resist or are immune to Slash is another issue, as it makes it easy to switch in faster threats or Gastly, which can put it to sleep. Pinsir's excellence in the metagame is undeniable when the best Pokemon in the tier, Nidoqueen, runs Fire Blast solely for it, but the fact that the tier prepares for it means that Pinsir needs team support to unleash its full potential.
[SET]
name: All-out Attacker
move 1: Slash
move 2: Bind
move 3: Submission
move 4: Seismic Toss
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Slash is Pinsir's most spammable attack, 2HOKing or 3HKOing most foes. Bind allows Pinsir to chip foes into KO range and pivot around slower threats. However, given its terrible accuracy, Bind should only be used when necessary. Submission is Pinsir's strongest attack against Rock- and Normal-types, 2HKOing Omanyte and Porygon and 3HKOing Graveler. Seismic Toss hits Gastly, which is immune to all of Pinsir's other attacks. Seismic Toss also lets Pinsir cover switches, as it still deals decent damage to Rock-types, notably 3HKOing Omanyte. It also puts many targets that are 3HKOed by Slash in 2HKO range, such as Machamp and Nidoqueen, and puts Staryu in OHKO range.
Pinsir is easily handled by Rapidash, Arcanine, and Fearow, which outspeed and threaten it with their STAB attacks. Therefore, Omanyte and Graveler make good partners. Pinsir struggles against Rock-types and Gastly, which force it to use its weak coverage moves. Thus, Water-types such as Seaking and Staryu for the former, and Psychic-types such as Abra and Drowzee for the latter, are appreciated. Porygon is also able to safely switch into Rock-types, as well as Gastly once Sleep Clause is activated, making it a good teammate. Pinsir can be used as a wallbreaker or a cleaner for its team. When used as a wallbreaker, it's excellent at removing or weakening crucial defensive pieces such as Porygon, Drowzee, and Staryu. This helps speedy offensive threats, such as Rapidash and Fearow, to sweep late-game. If used as a cleaner, it enjoys the support of wallbreakers such as Abra and Fearow to weaken defensive Pokemon. Thunder Wave support from teammates such as Staryu and Drowzee also helps Pinsir to clean.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Body Slam can be used to spread paralysis, but Pinsir generally makes more progress using its standard set. Swords Dance is an enticing option, as the sheer power of a boosted Hyper Beam can OHKO nearly every non-Rock- or Ghost-type. Additionally, a +2 Hyper Beam has a 71.8% chance to OHKO Porygon,and a +2 Submission will always do so. However, using Swords Dance and Hyper Beam means Pinsir must give up Bind and one of its coverage moves, leaving it unable to threaten certain foes.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fire Blast Users*: Rapidash and Arcanine outspeed Pinsir and have a 79.5% chance to OHKO it with Fire Blast, while it can only rarely 2HKO Rapidash with Slash and always 3HKOes Arcanine. Nidoqueen and Machamp 2HKO Pinsir with Fire Blast, and it can only 3HKO them in return, but Pinsir outspeeds them and can win if they're chipped.
**Fearow**: Fearow outspeeds Pinsir and has a 96.8% chance to 2HKO with Drill Peck, while Slash only has a 30.7% chance to 2HKO back. However, it is a tenuous check since it can generally only switch into Pinsir once.
**Gastly**: Seismic Toss only 3HKOes Gastly and it is immune to all of Pinsir's other moves, so it can effortlessly switch in and put Pinsir to sleep with Hypnosis. However, once Sleep Clause is active, Gastly loses one-on-one and will usually need to pivot into in a faster threat.
**Rock-types**: Pinsir's Submission only 3HKOes Graveler, and its Rock Slide has an 87.6% chance to 2HKO back, which becomes 100% after Submission's recoil. Omanyte loses one-on-one, but it can easily force Pinsir to use Submission or Seismic Toss, allowing it to pivot in a faster threat.
**Paralysis**: Once paralyzed by threats such as Staryu and Drowzee, Pinsir is easy to overwhelm. Threats that normally lose due to being outsped, such as Seaking and Omanyte, now easily beat Pinsir. Dragonair can easily use Wrap to bring Pinsir into KO range. Tenuous checks to Pinsir, such as Nidoqueen, Machamp, and Graveler, find themselves more comfortably able to overwhelm it.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sabelette.583793/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gastlies.540559/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sabelette.583793/
Last edited: